An isolated thunderstorm in Perkins County produced a brief tornado 5 miles west southwest of Brandon and hail up to ping pong ball size 3 miles east of Grant during the early evening hours on May 16th.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LBF wrote it up.
An isolated thunderstorm in Perkins County produced a brief tornado 5 miles west southwest of Brandon and hail up to ping pong ball size 3 miles east of Grant during the early evening hours on May 16th.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 4:31 PM MST, 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 631 PM CDT Tue May 16 2017 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 230 PM CDT Tue May 16 2017 Strong shortwave currently seen in water vapor imagery is tracking northeast across New Mexico. A stationary front is located across KS. As this shortwave tracks northeast toward eastern Colorado and Western Kansas, a surface low will deepen across eastern Colorado tonight. This will cause the warm front to lift northward into far southwest ans southern Nebraska by late this evening. This would be the area of concern for possible surface based convection developing this evening, and it is possible that an isolated tornado could develop in addition to damaging winds and large hail. Farther north mid level warm air advection will be strong with more elevated thunderstorm activity. These still could pose the risk for isolated large hail and strong wind gusts. Late tonight the shortwave will become negatively tilted and form a tight closed upper low. It appears southwest Nebraska will be in the favored location for a deformation zone of locally heavy rain on the immediate northwest side of the upper low, and have added the mention of heavy rain to the forecast. Upper low moves into eastern Nebraska during the day Wednesday, with continued wrap around light to moderate rain continuing during the morning hours across southwest Nebraska, and through much of the day across northern Nebraska. Winds will increase from the northwest on backside of the surface low, with some gusts to 30 mph likely. Total rainfall for tonight through Wednesday should generally range between 0.50 to 1.50 inches, with a few spots possibly receiving 2.00 inches. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday) Issued at 230 PM CDT Tue May 16 2017 The large scale pattern will be fairly amplified at the beginning of the period with cyclonic flow aloft and two closed lows. A mid-level closed low is expected to be located over southern ID/northern UT and another one is expected to be located in the Middle Missouri Valley early Wednesday Night. The former low will track into the aforementioned area from the Pacific Northwest Tuesday Night and Wednesday. The latter upper low will be lifting northeast into the Upper Great Lakes and weakening into an open wave early Thursday. A broad trough will persist aloft Thursday through Friday. The trough will initially be over the Northern Rockies-Central Great Basin-Southwest US and will then move eastward into the Central/Southern Rockies and High Plains Friday. A pair of disturbances will affect the region Thursday afternoon-Friday wherein two shortwave troughs will rotate around. Overall, increased chances for precipitation are expected Thursday afternoon through Friday. Of note, there will be chances for rain/snow mix, possible all snow, late Thursday into early Friday morning given thermal profiles over portions of Sheridan Co and extreme western Cherry county. However, little accumulation is expected. Beyond Friday, chances for precipitation will be trending downward late through Saturday. The closed low initially over the Central High Plains Friday night is forecast to lift northeastward into the MN Arrowhead region sometime Sunday. However, there are differences in phase and amplitude with this evolution beyond Friday night. Another concern in the extended revolves around temperatures with respect to the potential for frost mainly over the eastern Neb Panhandle and northwest NEB with the best potential Saturday morning at this time. While temperatures approach 30 F Saturday morning, winds will be a concern with light breezes expected. Frost may be a concern again Sunday morning in portions of northwest NEB. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening) Issued at 631 PM CDT Tue May 16 2017 Scattered showers and thunderstorms tonight, followed by rain Wednesday. Ceilings are forecast to fall to MVFR at KLBF after 12z, and to IFR at VTN after 12z. North to northwest winds will also gust to 20 to 25 kts after 12z also. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...Taylor LONG TERM...ET AVIATION...Roberg
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service North Platte NE 304 PM CDT Tue May 16 2017 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-172015- Sheridan-Eastern Cherry-Keya Paha-Boyd-Brown-Rock-Holt-Garden- Grant-Hooker-Thomas-Blaine-Loup-Garfield-Wheeler-Arthur-McPherson- Logan-Custer-Deuel-Keith-Perkins-Lincoln-Chase-Hayes-Frontier- Western Cherry- 304 PM CDT Tue May 16 2017 /204 PM MDT Tue May 16 2017/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north central Nebraska. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. Scattered strong and severe thunderstorms are expected to develop across western and north central Nebraska. Storm activity will likely persist until midnight or later. Large hail and damaging winds are the main threats. Heavy rainfall appears likely across areas 50 miles north or south of Interstate 80. Rainfall near 3 inches falling over several hours in some areas may produce minor flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. Thunderstorms are possible Wednesday into Wednesday evening across western and north central Nebraska. At this time, the threat for severe storms is low. Much colder air will push into western Nebraska Friday. By Friday night, temperatures may approach the freezing mark in the western sandhills and the eastern Nebraska panhandle. Frost will be possible in these areas early Saturday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is possible later this afternoon into the evening. && Get your weather, hydrological, and climate information at http://www.weather.gov/northplatte
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
411 PM CDT TUE MAY 16 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 AM HAIL 22 SSE GORDON 42.51N 102.04W
05/16/2017 E0.88 INCH CHERRY NE PUBLIC
DELAYED REPORT
&&
SNIVELYSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service North Platte NE 530 PM MDT TUE MAY 16 2017 NEZ022-056-057-170015- Deuel NE-Garden NE-Keith NE- 530 PM MDT TUE MAY 16 2017 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN KEITH...SOUTH CENTRAL GARDEN AND EASTERN DEUEL COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM MDT... At 529 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Big Springs, moving northeast at 15 mph. Half inch hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Big Springs, Barton, Goldeneye State Wildlife Management Area, Megeath, Windlass Hill and Lake View Campground. This includes Interstate 80 in Nebraska between mile markers 93 and 116. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 4101 10193 4100 10234 4129 10233 4126 10183 TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 232DEG 13KT 4112 10209 Snively
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 158 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:37 UTC.
4 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A retired NWS employee witnessed a brief tornado embedded in rain 5 miles west southwest of Brandon. The tornado was visible for less than one minute. No damage was reported.
The Grant fire department reported nickel size hail near Grant.
The general public reported quarter size hail in Grant via pictures from social media.
The Grant fire department reported ping pong ball size hail, 3 miles east of Grant.
The general public reported quarter size hail, 5 miles north of Elsie.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2017Warnings in Nebraska, May 2017
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 698091, 698083, 698084, 698086, 698087.